Rose Colored Glasses
by Racholasj
Summary: Inoue Orihime hated her life.  She had been kidnapped and taken to Hueco Mundo, had been psychologically tormented, and saw the love of her life die twice.  And only one the last one measured up to the misery she was in now.
1. Prologue

**Rose Colored Glasses**

**A/N:** This is my first Bleach fic ever, so please let me know how I am doing. I do have some experience writing, so don't let the beginning part of the sentence deter you from reading! I appreciate Reviews, and don't mind (nice) contructive critism. First chapters are always the worst, as they start out bland. I did my best to keep it interesting. In the future, it should be much more interesting and angsty. So just have faith in me! Also, I will tell you now, that this WILL be Ichihime. My life revolves around this pair, so if you don't like this couple, you can click the back button now. (: As for the rest of you, thank you for taking your time to read this. xD  
-Rachel

**Disclaimer:** Bleach does not belong to me, It belongs to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump. I am just a reader with a passionate love for the Ichihime pairing. This is me getting my kicks.

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Inoue Orihime hated her life.

She had been kidnapped and taken to Hueco Mundo, had been psychologically tormented, and saw the love of her life die twice.  
And only one the last one measured up to the misery she was in now.

Sure, her and her nakama all survived the battles that they were all sure would be the end of them. They had perservered, and beaten out Aizen. She had been so happy that day.  
It had been a beautiful day. What Orihime didn't know then was that it would be the last beautiful day for a long time.

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**Prologue:**

It had been unusually warm in Karakura town that day, especially for the middle of February. It had felt like early summer, and Orihime had loved it. With all the rebuilding they had had to do, Karakura town looked brand new. This would also be the first day back at school for everyone after the war. The weather was a real treat, symbolizing a new beginning. She had gone out in only in her school uniform, enjoying the slight breeze flowing through her hair.

That was the same day she had met Yamauchi Isamu.

Walking into class for the first time in what felt like a century, Orihime had been surprised to see a new student. Nonetheless, she had smiled at him reassuringly. Orihime could hear the buzzing of voices in the hallways behind her, as she leaned in the doorway. Everyone had been so excited to be back in school, and of course everyone was talking about recent events. A lot of people threw glances her direction, some sympathetic, others fearful.

_Well, so much for anonymity... _Orihime thought, depressed.

She glanced back over at the new student, sitting in his desk. He was staring out the window, as though he'd much rather be anywhere but here. Orihime sighed. She knew that feeling all too well.

_He probably feels out of place. I know I would. It doesn't help that everyone's staring at him... _Orihime thought to herself, a frown playing on her lips. Orihime hated feeling like a misfit, even though she often did. No one around her seemed to be making much of an effort to get to know him either. A few girls looked curiously at him, but other than that, no one paid any attention. Her frown deepened on her face as she thought of a way to introduce herself.

_Oh! I know. I'll make sure to invite him to lunch!_ Satisfied with her plan, she smiled. She moved from the door way to let others pass through. Class would be starting in five minutes. _Maybe I should get a seat next to the new student?_ Orihime wondered. She turned her head to look over at him again, but saw that he was staring at her. Orihime turned pink.

_Did he seen me staring at him? He probably thinks I'm weird. Oh we-_

"Inoue." A voice called, pulling her from her thoughts. This caused her blush to turn into a deeper shade of pink, as the voice belonged to a certain boy she had been excited to see this morning.

"Morning, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime replied, nervously. They hadn't talked much since the war had ended a few months ago, though they both still had unresolved issues they both needed to talk about; but they'd have to wait for now. They had both been busy helping rebuild Karakura town and getting everything back to normal. Orihime had been questioned about her kidnapping by the Captains, and Ichigo had been sent back to the Soul Society for a brief period of time, to help them get everything back in order. With all the fuss, they hadn't had much time to talk. Orihime hoped they get the chance soon.

"How are you?" Ichigo asked, unsure of where to start. He looked rather uncomfortable as he leaned on his desk. _I wonder if I make him uncomfortable_... Orihime thought, sadly.

"I'm doing alright. Keeping busy." She said, forcing a smile. She did her best not to look directly at him, as he would probably notice how weird she was acting. Whenever she looked at Ichigo, she couldn't help but become nervous. Instead, she stared at his jaw.

_What a gorgeous jaw... _she briefly thought_._ Orihime became flustered at her pesonal thoughts, feeling a bead of sweat go down her brow.

"That's good to hear. I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch today? Chad and Ishida are coming along." He asked. Orihime was about to object, because she had planned to ask the new student to lunch, but realized she couldn't bare to turn him down.

So she went for the compromise.

"I would love to, but, heh heh, would it be okay if I invited someone along?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't mind. It wasn't everyday she got to eat lunch with Kurosaki Ichigo, after all. There was no way she'd miss this oppurtunity.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Who?" Ichigo asked, curious.

"The new student. Only because he looks so lonely! I mean, he's sitting all alone. I was gonna ask him to join me for lunch anyway, but I want to go with you guys too. It'd be perfect 'cause then maybe you guys will like him, and we will have all made a new friend and-"

"Sounds good, Inoue." Ichigo said, trying not to laugh. Orihime was always funny when she went off on a rant. She formed words so quickly, and a smile would form on her face. You could feel the excitement in her reiatsu.

"Okay. So I'll meet you on the roof then?" Orihime asked, trying to push her nervousness away. Whenever Kurosaki-kun was by her, she couldn't help but feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She could always feel her face turn red, and her ears burning; but it was worth it at the end of the night. She'd go home and lie in bed replaying each scene in her head until she fell into a peaceful sleep. Those were the best dreams.

"Yes. I'm gonna try and pay attention to Ochi-sensei today...for once. See you at lunch Inoue." Ichigo said, sliding himself into his desk.

"Kay!" Orihime replied. She saw one seat left close to the new guy and quickly snagged it. She was going to work her magic. She was, afterall, Inoue Orihime. Making friends is what she did.

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"Konnichiwa, Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun, and Sado-kun!" Orihime cheerfully said, greeting her nakama. She wasn't alone. Behind her was the new student. He waved silently.

"This is the new student, Yamauchi Isamu! He agreed to join us for lunch today." Orihime beamed, proud of herself. She had accomplished her goal quickly this morning. He had seemed surprised at her invite, but pleased.

"Nice to meet you, Yamauchi-san. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, and these are my nakama, Sado Yasutora and Ishida Uryu." Ichigo said. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks." Isamu said in his deep voice. As Orihime looked at him, she couldn't help but notice tht he kind of reminded her of Ichigo. Isamu had a seriousness to him, as well with a mysterious allure. Unlike Ichigo though, he had green eyes and brown hair, like Keigo's, that was in a shorter cut than Ichigo's current hairstyle. Ever since his three month training, he had left his hair long. Needless to say, he looked better than ever...

"Inoue?" Ichigo's voice came, snapping her out of her daydream. She turned pink yet _again_, embarassed that she had been caught in a reverie that involved Ichigo with no shirt on. What a beautiful daydream it had been...

"Sorry, Kurosaki-kun, what did you say?" she answered apologetically, trying to recover.

"I was just asking how your day has been."

"Oh! It's been great. I woke up this morning and felt like spoiling myself, so I had a delicious bowl of ice cream and bean paste! Then I walked to school in this gorgeous weather, and I even met Yamauchi-kun today! Did you guys know he's from Tokyo? And he's lived in many places before that even! Like London and -"

"Inoue, our guest may find it rude you're talking about him like he's not here. Let him tell us for himself." Uryu said, reading the expression on Isamu's face. He seemed to be more of a low key kind of guy, and Inoue was ranting about his life, which may have offended him. Uryu couldn't be sure though.

Orihime's eyes widened, realizing she was blabbing away about someone elses business like he wans't there. _I'm such an idiot, he probably thinks I'm so rude!_

"Oh, right. Sorry, Yamauchi-kun. I tend to get carried away. I just think it's really cool you've lived in so many amazing cities." Orihime said, hoping he wasn't mad.

"It's alright, I don't mind; but please call me Isamu, Inoue-san. I imagine we'll be getting _very _close, might as well drop the formailities right now, if you don't mind." Isamu said.

Ichigo tensed at his words, feeling uneasy about what he had just said. He didn't know why, but the tone of his voice mixed with his words made Ichigo irritated. Maybe it was because it was so blatantly obvious what Isamu was implying, or the fact that he had just met Inoue, but he had an animalistc urge to rip his throat out. He tried to shrug it off as overprotectiveness, but he wasn't so sure if that was what it was. Looking at Ishida and Chad, he could see that they hadn't liked the comment very much, either.

"Oh, um, alright." Orihime said, feeling her ears burn. She subconciously swallowed as her throat went dry.

"Heh heh, making friends is what I do after all! So I really don't mind dropping the formalities, I-isamu!" She stuttered, but managed to smile.

She didn't know if it Isamu was hitting on her, or if that was the way he was since he was from a big city. She figured it was the latter, and tried to ignore it. Afterall, she had went out of her way to invite him to lunch, so the least she could do was let him feel comfortable and welcome around her. He was just being nice, reaching out in friendship. In fact, she ought to return the favor.

"You can call me Inoue. That's what all my nakama call me, and I prefer my last name to my first name anyway. Too many "princess" associations otherwise." Orihime said, flashing a crooked smile.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at this, as did Ishida. That was something neither had heard before.

There were a few reasons why she didn't like Orihime as much as she used to. Hiyori had pointed out the meaning of her name when they had first met, continuing on by saying how easy it would be to hate her for her looks. It had irritated her then, but it wasn't until Hueco Mundo that she really got sick of being called "princess". It made her think of Loly and Menoly, and how they assumed that she thought she was better than they were. In reality, Orihime didn't think she was better than anyone. She had a list of things she hated about herself, and everyday the list got longer. This list often depressed her, but she did her best to ignore it and not let it show.

So in the end, Inoue won out.

"Really? I never knew that about you." Ichigo said, surprised. There was still quite a few things Ichigo didn't know about Orihime, even after everything that happened. They still hadn't talked much as of late, and he knew they needed to at some point. Still, it was surprising to Ichigo to hear that Orihime hated her name. When had that happened?

"Oh, yeah, it's something I recently decided. I get sick of being called "Princess." Too many bad memories." She added, hoping Ichigo would get the hint. He did, and she knew this by the scowl that quickly took it's place in his features, like usual.

"I think you were well named. A Princess is someone who is royal and beautiful, and from what I gathered, it fits you nicely." Isamu said, smiling at Inoue.

Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad all looked at each other for a moment, each giving the other a glance that said _"What the fuck is up with this guy?"_

_She looks like a deer caught in the headlights_, Ichigo thought. _Where does this guy get off? I mean, I thought Shinji and Keigo were bad..._

Orihime turned several shades of red, and began fidgeting with her skirt. "Th-thanks, Isamu. That's nice of you to say." She flashed him a smile.

Orihime wasn't sure how she felt about Isamu's now obvious flirting. She was used to Chizuru and her not so subtle behaviour, but Chizuru was a girl and she knew in the end that Orihime wasn't interested. Isamu, however, was a guy. Orihime didn't have much experience with guys, despite her gorgeous looks. Tatsuki had always told her that guys would go crazy over her, and how they were always checking her out, but Orihime never believed her. Anyway, Orihime had never caught on to it before now, so she really had no clue what to do.

"You're welcome, Inoue. Anyway, yes, I come from Tokyo, but I only lived there for a few years. Before that I lived in London. I'm originally from Karakura though, which is why we're here. My parents are rather unorthodox that way. They love to travel and move around, especially to big cities. I much prefer the laid back setting of smaller towns, so I was glad they decided to come back home. I haven't been here since I was a kid, though. Hasn't changed much from what I can tell, except some of the buildings."

"Yeah, we just had some reconstruction around town. Needed an update." Ishida said, casting a glance towards Ichigo. Orihime stiffled a giggle at Ishida's excuse.

"But yeah, that's pretty much my story. Nothing special, though if Inoue thinks so, then that's much prefered by me. It's a mutual feeling." Isamu added, sending a smile her way. Ichigo rolled his eyes. He was getting irked at all this flirting on Isamu's part, not to mention calling her Inoue after knowing her for two hours wasn't helping. Who did he think he was exactly? Walking into his school and hitting on one of his friends. Ichigo became flustered at his thoughts. _What am I thinking? I don't own her. It's not like she's my girlfriend or anything. Still, Isamu didn't seem to know his place, and Ichigo thought he may have to show him where that was sometime in the future. For now, he'd just keep an eye on him. He was probably harmless, and Ichigo was probably being over protective, but he didn't take chances when it came to his nakama.

"Inoue is special. I've known her for years." Ichigo said, suprising himself. That was a bit of an overstatement, seeing as they barely talked for the most part of their childhood. It wasn't up until the last fear years that they actually became good friends, but they still weren't as close as they should be.

Orihime, however, wasn't worried about the latter of the sentence; she was turning red from the fact Ichigo had said she was special. Her heart was making itself known in her chest, pattering away, much faster than normal. She was sure everyone could hear it. A big, goofy grin made it's way to her face anyway. Tonight was going to be a peaceful sleep, for sure. She would definitely replay this moment over and over.

"I'm special?" she asked, wanting him to elaborate. She knew she shouldn't push this, especially with Ishida and Chad around, not to mention Isamu, but she wanted to know.

"Well, e-er, yeah, Inoue." Ichigo said, doing his best to spit it out. He hadn't even realized how he sounded until now, causing a blush to form on his cheeks. "I mean, you're my friend and, e-er, a good one at that." He said lamely, his hand wiping the sweat from his neck that had just formed. He sounded like a moron.

Orihime tried not to let the word 'friend' bug her, and forced a smile onto her face. "Thanks, Kurosaki-kun! I think of all of you guys as special, too!"

"Well, I'm finished eating. We should get back to class. It was nice meeting you, Yamauchi-kun. I hope to see more of you." Ishida said, getting up and gathering his stuff. He waved goodbye, and Yamauchi waved back.

"Ichigo, we should go, too." He simply said, and Ichigo nodded.

"Alright, Chad. Um, it was nice meeting you, Yamauchi-kun. Welcome back to Karakura." He said, trying his best to be friendly, even though he was beyond irritated with the guy. "See you later, Inoue."

This left Isamu and Orihime alone together, which made Orihime feel slightly uncomfortable. After all the flirtation that had just occurred, she didn't know what he would be like.

"So, um, what do you think of them?" She asked, pointing to the direction her friends had went. Isamu shrugged.

"They seem nice enough, though that orange haired kid is kind of a punk from what I can tell." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun always has a scowl on his face, don't take it personally. He grows on you! As for Ishida-kun and Sado-kun, they're quiet, but definitely good company. I'd be lost without them!" She added, hoping he wouldn't think badly of her friends.

"Why does he call Sado-kun Chad?" Isamu asked, curious.

"Oh, well from my understanding, Kurosaki-kun read his name on a nametag, and misread it as Chad. The Kanji was similar. It just kind of stuck. Those two are the best of friends, they have been since they were kids." Orihime explained. She had asked Ichigo once, why he called him Chad. She really liked the name, but felt odd calling him that. The only person she had no formalities with was Tatsuki-chan.

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense. Hey, Inoue, I know this is rather soon, but I was wondering if I could ask you something." Isamu asked, rather nervously. Orihime tensed, but looked him in the eye and smiled. "Hai, Isamu?" She asked bravely.

"Well, would you like to go to dinner with me friday night?"

Orihime was fraid he was going to ask her something along these lines, and hearing him say the words did not make it easier. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him her heart belonged to Kurosaki-kun; and even if it didn't, she had just met Isamu. She assumed that if she wasn't in love with Ichigo, she may have been more excited that he was asking her out. From what she learned earlier this morning, he was rather smart. He also knew a lot about cities and cultures, which she admired.

And It wasn't that Isamu wasn't attractive either; in fact, he was. She had seen a few girls eyeing at him on her way to lunch. She had also seen a few jealous glares directed at her. (Though by this point, she was used to it, since she was friends with Ichigo, and by now half the female population wanted him.) It was just that she had never even thought about liking another guy, ever. She was in love with Ichigo Kurosaki, one of her friends...

_But he isn't in love with you._

The thought pierced Orihime's heart, a cold reminder that her love for Ichigo was completely and utterly unrequited.

_I will never be good enough for him_, she thought glumly to herself.

Suddenly, she pictured herself old and alone. Images of living in her current apartment flashed through her head, except that the pictures that currently filled the frames were a empty. She sat in an old rocking chair, old and ugly, knitting. Even worse, she imagined Ichigo married to someone much better than her. Someone who was prettier, smarter, stronger and more worthy of his love. Her heart felt as though it would fall out of her chest.

Was she going to let that happen? To pass up every guy that showed interest in her, because she was waiting for Ichigo to miraculously fall in love with her? The chances of that happening were slim. She needed to move on. It was unhealthy, feeling this way for someone who did not and would not return the favor...

So Orihime Inoue did something she didn't think she would ever do.

"Yes, Isamu-kun, I will go to dinner with you on friday." As she said the words, she forced a smile on her face. Little did she know, that sentence was the start of a new chapter in her life- one that she wish she could erase forever.

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Alright, so there's the prologue. It's hard setting everything up, and as this is my first bleach fic, I apologize if it wasn't great! I thought it was pretty decent, though. I worked super hard on this, so please please please Read and Review! Once I get everything going, it should get better! Thanks!


	2. date

**A/N: **I have a few ideas as to where this fic will go. I will do my absolute best to be original and surprising, and what I don't surprise you with, I'll do my best to write well. Also, further notice, Orihime is by far my favorite character, and Ichigo a close second. I also agree she's had a troublesome life; but this fic will be angsty (hopefully) and Orihime will have to endure more heart break...but for a good cause and good story.  
But on the bright side, I am a sucker for happy endings. So please don't hate me!

**Side note:** remember Orihime went through Psychological torment - this fic is playing off that.

Also, Chapter 422 pretty much made my life and inspired me to conitnue writing. Ichihime, yes please!

Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, they made me feel good. I was kind of worried! I went back and checked on a few of those mistakes. Special thanks to** Crystal Dawn **for pointing that out. (Also, **Aijou829 **, I hope this chapter fixes my little screw up. You are right, and I even thought that when writing it, but I was kinda hurried and needed to move it along to get it done. Thanks for understanding! haha)

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, never will.

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"Tatsuki-chan, I need to tell you something." The caramel haired girl whispered, feeling anxious. She wasn't sure how Tatsuki would react to her news. She wasn't even sure how she was reacting to it. Thinking about it made Orihime's head hurt; but even worse, it made her heart ache. She didn't know what she was doing trying to be with somebody else. If her heart could pop out of her chest and scream at her, she was sure it would have.

After all, her heart had declared five lifetimes, if not more.

_Maybe it's just that this lifetime just wasn't meant to be..._

"What is it, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked, putting her bowl of rice down. She knew something wasn't right by Orihime's tone. She glanced curiously at her long haired friend, hoping it wasn't something bad.

"I, um, have date this weekend," she said, having a hard time spitting the words out. She refused to look anywhere near Tatsuki's face; she did not want to see her expression.

"No way! Ichigo finally asked you out, huh? Took him long enough! I mean, he can bee such a lug hea-" Tatsuki started excitedly. Orihime cut her off, waving a finger in front of her.

"No, no. That's the thing, It's not with Ichigo..." She muttered, feeling the disapointment in her own heart.

"What?" Tatsuki asked, shock on her face. Did she hear her right? She was going on a date with someone who wasn't Ichigo?

"Yeah, um, a really nice guy asked me out to dinner." She said, trying to sell it to herself as well as Tatsuki.

"I thought you loved Ichigo?" Tatsuki questioned, raising an eyebrow. "It's not like you to agree to go out with someone else."

"I do love Ichigo...but I've come to terms with the fact that he will never love me." Orihime said, swallowing. She could see that Tatsuki was about to say something, but she cut in before she could lecture her. She had to explain.

"I can't keep doing this to myself, Tatsuki. With everything that's happened, I'm not the same person I was before. I'm... fragile. I'm different than I used to be, before I was taken away. I have a new limit, and I know what I can and cannot take right now." She said, looking at her hands on the carpet.

"Everytime I'm near Ichigo, I feel pain in my chest, like someone has put a knife through it. I constantly ache to be with him, and I can't be. I can only make it stop by moving on." she said, trying to sound confident and firm. She could feel the water forming in her eyes anyway.

"And I can't move on if I'm waiting for him, Tatsuki! If I don't do it now, I never will... I could wait for that man forever, wasting my life away. The old Orihime could do that. This person I am now isn't that strong." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "I love him just as much as I ever have, if not more, but it's not enough anymore...I d-didn't realize that until Isamu asked me out. It was like something snapped inside of me..." she trailed off, beginning to sob. Her body was shaking as she clutched her arms around herself.

Tatsuki wrapped her arms around her friend, grimacing at her pain. _Ichigo, you stupid, asshole! You cause so much pain without doing a thing. _She felt anger seep through her veins at his ignorance, his complete and utter ignorance when it came to Orihime. He would never know what was right in front of him.

Orihime deserved happiness. Her life had been hard enough.

"Shh, Orihime, it's okay. I understand." she said, squeezing her friend's hand. "Ichigo will always be oblivious to the obvious. That doesn't mean you should give up; but I also agree that you shouldn't waste your time pining away for someone. I want you to do what makes you happy, Orihime. If that means moving on, then so be it, but if you're forcing this, then don't."

Orihime was silent for a moment, taking it all in.

"I am so selfish." She whispered, clenching her sides harder. "I just don't know anything anymore." More tears poured out of her and Tatsuki began to feel lost.

"You are the least selfish person I have ever met, Orihime. You're just finally thinking about yourself for once. There's nothing wrong with that. You can only give yourself to a person so much for so long before you have nothing left. I think you may have reached that point," she said, looking at her friend's watery gray eyes. Orihime sniffled.

"Even so, it's wrong of me to date Isamu while I'm in love someone else." she whimpered, realizing what a terrible person she was, once again. _I truly deserve every bad thing that happens to me..._

"You can't grow to love someone until you get to know them. You used to think Ichigo was rather scary, didn't you? But when you two started talking, you fell head over heels. I believe you can have more than one love in a life, Orihime. There's your first love, and the love of your life. Some people are lucky, they find both loves in one person; but others don't. You never know, Orihime, you may end up liking Isamu more than you think."

"Maybe..." Orihime replied, still unsure.

"Which, you need to fill me in on. Who exactly is he, and how did he go about asking you out?" she asked, hoping the lighter topic would cheer her up.

Orihime perked up a little, regaining a but of color in her cheeks, and flashed a small smile.

"Well..."

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"ICHIGO!" Ichigo didn't even bother looking up to know who it was. He let out a sigh and quickly, lifting his arm in a backhand movement, causing Keigo to fall flat on his face.

"Jeez, where's the love around here? I see SOME people never change." Keigo exclaimed, rubbing his head where it collided with the floor. He looked up at Ichigo, who was sitting at a table, with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, tell me about it. What do you want, Asano? I'm trying to study."

"AH! there you go again, studying! What is UP with that? Seriously, it's not cool, Ichigo. You're just a big nerd! I mean, I found you in here, the LIBRARY. I thought we were suppose to have an image!"

"I do have an image. I'm the guy who does what he wants. Now seriously, what are you jumping around about?" Ichigo said, looking irritated by his hyperactive friend.

_There seriously has to be some type of medication he can take..._

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you might care about this juicy piece of information, but maybe not."

"Keigo, you know I don't care about you and your gossip." Ichigo replied, rolling his eyes. Ichigo had never been one for rumors, especially since half of them were about him.

"No? Even when it's about Inoue-san?" Keigo asked, raising an eyebrow. He bent down close to Ichigo's face and added, "HMMMMMMMMMMMMM?"

"What about Inoue?" Ichigo asked, a bit more interested than he had been a minute ago. He put down his pen and looked at Keigo curiously. Inoue was rarely the center of gossip - she was just so innocent that they usually weren't believable.

"Well, rumor has it that she's going on a date this friday!" Keigo said. "What am I gonna do? My lovely Inoue-san has been swiped from the market! I never got to pledge my love to thee!"

"Wait, what? She's going on a date? With who?" I swear, if Shinji asked her out...

"The new transfer student, I forget his name. I love how he barges in and takes what is rightfully ours! And by ours, I mean all the boys of Karakura, because let's face it, she's everyone's fant-"

"Shut up, Keigo. Speak for yourself." Ichigo said, becoming extremely annoyed at Keigo and his mouth.

"What? You're gonna tell me that Inoue-san isn't the object of your deepest desires? Cause if so, I'm gonna have to go ahead and question you're sanity and your sexuality..."

"Keigo, Inoue is my friend. We're not all perverted like you are." Ichigo said, trying to keep his temper in check. Keigo had a way of bringing it out. "Anyway, how did you find that out?"

"Well, the new guy was bragging about it to Mizuiro. Mizuiro of course told me about it, and I pretty much told anyone in earshot who'd liste-"

"Keigo, you are such a dumbass. I doubt Inoue will appreciate that. Are you sure it's true though? It's not like Inoue to go around dating strangers. That's usually what the other girls around here do." Ichigo questioned. He had a worried expression on his face, and Keigo thought he looked sorta...pissed. He grinned evily.

"Why? Jealoouuuuusss?" Keigo slurred, raising his voice to a high pitch. He began doing kissing faces and dancing around Ichigo. "Someone's JEALOUS!"

Ichigo had had enough. He stood up and lifted his foot to Keigo's face.

"Nevermind, I'll just ask Inoue myself."

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"I'm excited for our date tonight, Inoue." Isamu said, leaning down close to her face in a whisper. Orihime turned eight shades of red, surprised by his closeness.

"Um, yeah! Me too. Where are we going to eat?" she asked, hoping it wasn't a stupid question. She couldn't remember if he had told her where or not. The last few days had been a blurr, and she wasn't really focused on anything except what was going on in her head. Which, unfortunately, was a lot...

"It's s surprise. Just be ready around seven and I'll pick you up." Isamu said, leaning back against the wall in a relaxed position. Orihime thought he looked cute like that.  
he "Alright. I suppose I'll need to tell you how to get to my house, huh? Okay, you go-"

"I already know where you live, Inoue. No need for directions." Orihime frowned. "Okay, then. Well, uh, I better get to class so u-uum, I'll see you after?" She asked, not too sure.

"Yeah, I can walk you home."

"Sounds good! Thank you, Isamu." Orihime said, batting her eyelashes. Isamu gave her a grin, and Orihime felt butterflies in her stomach.

_Maybe, maybe this will work afterall. Unless of course these butterflies are from that sandwhich I ate earlier...Tuna and bean paste wasn't such a fantastic Idea...I could have held off on the Wasabi sauce as well..._

By this point, Orihime had gathered all of her things and was walking down the hallway to her next class. Lost in thought, she didn't even notice a certain orange haired teenager staring at her.

"Inoue." he said, his voice low. Orihime turned in surprise. She smiled happily, but then realized she shouldn't look so pleased to see him.

Her smile faded.

"Oh, hi, Kurosaki-kun," she said, keeping her excitement to herself. Her breakdown with Tatsuki made her weary of his presence. She didn't want another episode of that. She was doing her best to move on, but being around him constantly was making it extremely hard.

"What's wrong, Inoue?" he asked softly, looking at her frown. She was always smiling, so seeing her expression took him off guard.

"Oh, nothing, just tired is all!" she lied. "What did you need, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I just heard you're going on a date with the new guy. What's up with that?" He said, keeping all the irritation out of his voice. He could never be angry with Inoue, but he wasn't exactly pleased by this news either. Yamauchi, from their first meeting, seemed like a complete ass, but of course Orihime never would have picked up on that, she was always the one to find the good in people.

"Oh, yeah. I am, where did you hear that?" she asked him. He became nervous, realizing she probably wasn't aware everyone was talking about it.

"Oh, well Keigo told me. Yamauchi was talking to Mizuiro about it." he said, hoping she wouldn't be angry, even though _he_ kind of was.

"Ah, I see. Yeah, we are. Why? What's the big deal, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked, her eyes going big. _Oh no...he probably thinks I'm some sort of tramp, who goes out with the first guy who asks... _Orihime thought to herself, becoming even more depressed.

Ichigo hesistated to answer. What was the big deal? He didn't really know why he cared so much. It just irritated him that she was going to go out with this stranger. "I want you to be careful, then, okay Inoue? You don't really know him that well," Ichigo finally spit out.

"Oh, Isamu is nice, Kurosaki-kun! You don't need to worry...but I've got to run! I'm gonna be late. Bye!" She said suddenly, turning to run down the hallway to her next class. Ichigo let out a big huff. Somehow that didn't make him feel any better.

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The day passed slowly after that, Orihime becoming more and more nervous about the night's events. Tatsuki had come over to help her get ready for her date, and to give her some more support. She still didn't know what she was doing, going out with somebody else. Half of her developed a deep sense of self-loathing, while the other half tried to do what was best for her and move on.

The problem with that was, she knew she would probably never feel the same way for Isamu that she did for Ichigo. When Orihime gave her heart away, she could not take it back so easily.  
The whole problem was that Ichigo had no idea that he had her heart, and he seemed to step on it quite often. At this point, it was beaten and bruised. Wasn't it better to give half of her heart to someone who would take care of it, instead of her full heart to wither and die in vain?

She didn't know.

"Orihime, please don't look so sad. This is suppose to be a happy occassion." Tatsuki mumbled. Orihime forced a smile on her face.

"You're right Tatsuki! It's just a date afterall. It's not like I'm signing my life away. If I don't like him, I can stop seeing him! But Isamu _is_ very nice and he's cute too actually.."

"That a girl! You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but just be positive! Tonight's suppose to be fun," she said, giving Orihime's shoulder a squeeze.

"Alright, well, are you sure I look okay?" Orihime asked for the fifteenth time that night. Tatsuki rolled her eyes.

"You look amazing, like you do every day, Orihime. That dark purple dress looks gorgeous on you, it really makes your hair pop," she said, motioning to the dress. It was a violet sundress that cinched at the waist. Orihime was also wearing black boots and stockings, and a black jacket. Her hair hung down her back as usual, playing vibrantly off the dark colors she was wearing.

"Okay, if you say so. He should be here any minute!" she realized, looking at the clock. She felt her nerves start up, and began fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

"You'll be great Orihime! Just relax. "

Orihime nodded, knowing she was right. If Tatsuki said to relax, than she should relax; but she couldn't help but worry about all the things that might happen on this date. What if he didn't like her? Or what if she didn't like him? She let out a small groan as the door bell rang.

"It's seven on the dot. He's punctual!" Tatsuki said, trying to comfort Orihime again. She smiled.

"Yeah he is! I'm usually late to things because I always get distracted.." Orihime drifted off, getting up to open the door.

Isamu was there, wearing black pants and a blue button down shirt, the same color as his eyes. His short brown hair was in a messier style today, not quite the same as Ichigo's old style, but close enough to make Orihime's eyes go wide.

"You look great, Isamu." Orihime said, giving him a crooked grin. He smiled back, looking her up and down appreciatively.

"I would say the same about you, but that would be an understatement. You must be the prettiest girl in the world." Orihime flushed, giving him a small smile. She glanced at Tatsuki, who seemed to be giving her an approving look.

"Alright, well I'm ready to go, then. I'll see you later Tatsuki!" she said, grabbing her purse. Isamu held the door open for her, and Tatsuki, amused, yelled , "You better not keep her out all night, or i'll kick your ass!" .

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Ichigo knew at this very moment that Orihime was out on a date.

Why he kept thinking about it, he didn't know.

_Ah, damn it. Why is it bothering me so much?_ He rolled over on his side again, staring blankly out the window.

_I mean, it's not like I like her like that or anything...It's just that Isamu is a dick, from what I can tell anyway. I mean, what's with the ' I imagine we'll be getting very close, might as well drop the formailities right now, if you don't mind' shit?_

He turned onto his back, not comfortable with his current position, and stared at his ceiling.

He remembered back before the war, after he had rescued Rukia. Things had settled down for a bit, and they had attended school for a while. Ichigo had filled his days with fighting; but not just with hollows. No, he had spent a vast majority of the time beating the shit out of perverted guys who thought they could have their way with Orihime. Of course, she didn't know that, and she'd probably be very mad at him if she did. The only time she had seen him due anything of the sort was when Shinji had been making her uncomfortable, and that he quickly blamed on Visored stuff.

So what the hell was wrong with him, leaving her by herself with Isamu? When Chad had said they had to go to class, he only hesistated for a moment before agreeing. In the past, he wouldn't have left her there with some creepy new guy.

_...but it's not like she's gonna let him do anything to her, right?_

Ichigo groaned.

_I'm such a moron. It is my job to protect her from all potential danger, and that includes dumbasses like Isamu, not just Arrancar and hollows. If Isamu even touches her innapropriately, It's gonna be my fault._

He let out another groan.

He had come to the conclusion he had become even thicker than before, which, according to Ishida, shouldn't even be possible.

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	3. rivals

A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, I was hoping to do this weekly but College and a second job put this on hold! Anyway, thank you so much for your lovely reviews. Shoutouts to The Dessa, halfdemonfan, (yes, I copied pasted that! and no, Isamu is not really based anyone, just a image in my head!), nypsy (I went back and checked for errors, I didn't find half as many as I did in chapter 1, but thanks for noticing), wild strawberry, Crystal Dawn, and Aijou (thank you for taking the time to message me back! Glad you liked my save ;) )

Oh, and JayMaster too, who is my boyfriend and sat right next to me while he read it. Ah well, I take what I can get!

I would like to say that I'm doing my absolute best with this fic, as it is my first Bleach fic, and pretty much my first fic ever, since I don't count the ones I wrote when I was 12...trust me, they're not good! hahaha.

I'm glad I didn't get any negative comments about Orihime choosing to date Isamu - I was gonna justify it with the fact she's not completely herself right now - she's been through psychological trauma - which will play a part in future chapters! So don't forget about that.

Warning: Language. And it's kinda short...

Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, Ichihime would have already happened. RenRuki would have already happened, and Kon would have more scenes! What does that tell you? Obviously, I do not.

Alright, enough of me and my rambling! Onto the chapter!

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Orihime had been on her date with Isamu for an hour now, and she had decided that she was glad she'd gone out with him. He was laid back and casual, constantly making her laugh. Whenever there was an awkward pause or lag in conversation, he did something to crack her up and break the ice once again. She was having a good time, eating foreign food and getting to know the mysterious brunette before her.

Though, even that didn't stop the occasional thoughts about Ichigo that slipped in her mind whenever she let it wander. She would frown when this happened, and attempt to ignore them.

_"I can't be thinking about Ichigo anymore...He's fine, like always. He doesn't need me. I should stop worrying about it..."_ She sighed softly to herself.

"Inoue, do you want some dessert? Pick anything you want." Isamu said, giving her a friendly smile. She grinned back, snapping out of her thoughts to look at her options.

"Oh, Gelato! That sounds good. I just love Italian food!" Orihime exclaimed, sighing happily to herself. Isamu chuckled.

"It is some of the best food in the world, after all. Though, if you love food, France is a place you must visit!" he said, watching her eyes open in excitement.

"I would love to visit France! I know a little bit of french, too! I think France would be such a lovely place to take a vacation, and you are totally right about the food! They have hundreds of different cheeses even! I can barely imagine the deliciousness and the richness of the desserts they have!" she ranted, extremely excited to be thinking about the hundreds of cheeses she could try. "_Crepes with Nutella and cheese? That sounds amazing!" _Her eyes were bright with happiness, and Isamu liked that.

"I could take you sometime. I have family there." he said nonchalantly. Orihime gaped in surprised, but slowly formed her mouth into a smile.

"Wow! You really have been everywhere. I've always just stayed here in Japan," she said, slightly disappointed with herself.

_"I'm so boring... I've done nothing exciting, except the whole getting kidnapped bit, and that's not exactly the kind of excitement I'm looking for... "_she thought, eyes growing somber.

"Something wrong, Inoue? You look sad." Isamu said, scrunching his eyebrows together in worry. Orihime thought he looked cute.

"Oh, heh heh, no I'm okay! I was just thinking about how I really need to have more fun!"

"I wouldn't mind helping with that." He smirked.

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_**"What the hell are you waiting for Kingy? Get your ass up off this bed, and stop being such a fucking pussy! All you do is lie around, moping and being pathetic! Grow a pair, would ya?" **_A voice interupted Ichigo's thoughts. It sounded very annoyed.

_"Shut up! I didn't ask you for your input, you damn nuissance,"_ Ichigo retorted back, rolling his eyes and scowling more than usual. Ichigo had been lying in his bedroom for about an hour now, beating himself up for letting Orihime go with Isamu. It was pissing him off more and more each minute. He realized that her personal life shouldn't be any of his business, and he shouldn't mind so much, but he just had a bad feeling about that guy.

_**"Yeah well, I have to listen to all your **_**dumbassedness**_** and I get sick of it, King! If you're that worried about the broad, go stalk her or something! Either way, shut the fuck up about it. Some of us don't give a shit," **_The hollow continued on angrily.

"Like I give a damn if you care or not. Damn hollow." Ichigo muttered under his breath.

**_"Tch. Atleast I'm right." _**Shirosaki muttered back.

The thought of the Hollow being right further annoyed Ichigo. He hated to give him the least bit of credit, especially when it was unwanted advice. He scowled further.

_**"Told ya."**_

_"Oi! Fuck off."_

Ichigo turned over on his side again, letting out a long sigh.

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"Inoue, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met." Isamu said, looking deeply into her eyes as they walked down the street from the restaurant. She blushed and averted her eyes, unsure of what to say.

"Um, thank you, Isamu. You really think so?" she questioned, unbelieving. "You're the first boy to ask me out, you know." she added, thoughtfully. Suddenly, she wondered why that was. Was she ugly? She never thought she was pretty, so maybe she really was unattractive like she feared. Or maybe it was because she was dumb or annoying? Was she not nice enough? A combination of them? She frowned, making a mental list of things that could be wrong with her.

"Just because I'm the first doesn't mean others hadn't thought about it. Guys get nervous too, and I bet your friends scared a lot of them off. They seem like they would. So don't go thinking there's something wrong with you. I know that look." he said, casually putting his arm around her shoulders as they walked. Orihime didn't seem to mind the gesture. She smiled, feeling a bit better.

"I guess Tatsuki-chan is protective, so who knows. She's like that,"she said laughing. "I'm glad though."

"I like Tatsuki, she's feisty from what I can tell. I mean, she did just threaten to kick my ass if I kept you out too late." Isamu said humorously. "But I think the reason guys haven't been asking you out has to do with Kurosaki."

"Oh? What about Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, feeling uneasy about the subject change. She was trying not to think about her orange haired crush on her date with another guy.

"If you haven't noticed, any guy that comes within a two mile radius of you gets an immpressive death glare." Isamu said, putting his free hand into his pocket. "I sure as hell got it."

"Really? I never noticed him giving you a dirty look. He was being very polite to you, as polite as he gets anyway. If you thought he was glaring, it's probably because he always has a scowl on his face. It takes some getting used to."

"Well, whatever floats your boat I guess." Isamu said, shrugging his shoulders.

They continued to walk on in silence with Orihime deep in thought. She wondered if Isamu's assumption had any truth to it. Did Ichigo scare away potential dates? Sure, he was protective, but he always kept his personal life separate from hers. Maybe it wasn't intentional. His protective nature and his scowling face probably scared guys off without him even trying. She shrugged mentally, giving up on trying to understand Ichigo and his mind. She turned her attention back to the boy before her, feeling much more relaxed than she originally did. It wasn't as awkward as Orihime had thought it would be, but the two were in a comfortable silence. His arm remained over her shoulder, pulling her close to him. She felt warm and safe there, even though he was still technically a stranger to her. She rested her head against his arm, feeling drowsy.

"Sleepy?" Isamu asked, pulling his lips into a crooked grin. His eyes were soft and gentle when he looked at her.

"A little. I probably ate too much." She said happily, thinking of the delicious dinner she had previously eaten. The tantilizing spaghetti with all it's spices and parmesan cheese, the delicious strawberry cake that had teased her tongue, making it tingle. She just loved food so much. She smiled satisfactorily.

"I should probably get you back soon. Tatsuki seems like the type to keep her word, and I'd rather not have my ass kicked right now." Isamu laughed.

"Let's walk a little longer." Orihime said. "I like to look at the stars a bit, if you don't mind." She said hopefully. He nodded, and Orihime pulled herself free from his arms, and sprang ahead of him.

"Let's sit right here!" She called over her shoulder to him. She plopped down on a spot of grass, pulling her knees into herself. Her hair cascaded over her shoulder beautifully, flailing gently in the breeze. The dim light from the moon shone upon her face, making her look like a porcelain doll. Her lips and cheeks were red from the slight chill, and her eyes were big with astonishment and wonder.

"You look like a little kid in a candy shop." Isamu said, finally catching up and sitting down next to her.

"Heh heh, yeah, I love the stars. They're just so big and mysterious. So far away...I'd like to be far away sometimes," Orihime whispered.

"The stars have a way of making us forget ourselves for awhile, that's for sure. You can get lost in thought looking up there. It's nice, I agree." Isamu said approvingly.

"They're so far away that the light we see from them is actually from millions of years ago. We're looking at their past. I just love that feeling." Orihime continued, her voice soft. " I wish I could see things from my past, but my past is gone. Only the future lies ahead for me."

Isamu's hand slowly crept towards Orihime's, and she jumped slightly when his fingers entertwined with hers. She didn't pull away though, welcoming the feeling of something in her life being complete. Maybe not her heart or her life, but atleast the spaces between her fingers would be. For now, that was enough.

Isamu moved his head close to her. She could feel his breath upon her ear, and he whispered, "Is it okay if I kiss you, Inoue?" The color from Orihime's face drained completely, and she turned her head to lock eyes with him.

_"I can't believe he asked me that so suddenly...I guess this is really romantic but it's so soon for this..."_

"I've never been kissed before." Orihime said to him, remembering how she had so desperately wanted her first kiss to be with Ichigo. A knot tightened in her stomach and a pain sprang in her chest.

_"Ichigo..."_

"There's a first for everything, you know." Isamu said, looking hopeful. "But I understand if you don't want me to."

"Oh! No, no, Isamu, it's okay. I-I want you to." she said nervously. _Do I really want him to-?_

Isamu did not hesitate to take her up on her offer. Before Orihime knew it, she felt pressure against her lips. Isamu's hand automatically went into her hair, while his other hand went to the small of her back. Isamu was sitting on his knees leaning forward into her, while Orihime tried not to fall onto her back and faint. His tongue poked out from between his lips, licking hers gently. He poked at the entrance of her mouth, and she hesistated to open to let him in. Giving in, she opened them slightly, allowing his tongue travel over the inside of her lips.

Orihime was about to pull away when Isamu decided to deepen the kiss further. His tongue was now fully inside her mouth, twisting and turning. Orihime was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the sudden turn the kiss had taken. Her lips stopped moving, but he failed to notice. He was slowly creeping on top of her more and more, and she was forced to fall backward as he continued to position himself on top of her.

_"This is going really fast...he's really into it but this is so soon...I'm not sure what to do..."_

"Isamu," she began, but his hands tangled in her hair more and more and his lips continued on, making it hard for her to talk.

Suddenly, she felt the weight lift off her all at once and it became easier to breathe. She looked up slowly, dazed and confused by what had just happened. To the right of her, she saw Isamu laying face down in the grass in pain. The source was easy to determine: there, standing above Isamu, was a very angry orange haired teenager. Ichigo Kurosaki had murder in his eyes as he stared down at Isamu's body, preparing to strike again.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Ichigo said through gritted teeth. Isamu groaned in response, clearly in pain. Ichigo lifted his foot to the back of his head and pushed down.

"You do not treat Inoue like that, under any circumstances!" Ichigo cried, digging his foot down to get the point across. Isamu grabbed Ichigo's foot and pulled him down, knocking him over. Isamu stood up quickly, throwing a kick at Ichigo.

"I didn't hear her telling me to say stop, you're the only one with a complaint around here." Isamu retorted, distancing himself.

"She isn't that type of girl." Ichigo said, dusting himself off. "If you ever take advantage of her like that again, I will personally see to it that that thing between your legs is removed." Ichigo said menacingly.

"Kurosaki-kun." Orihime said, pushing herself off the ground to stand. She felt the heat rise to her face in embarassment. "_I can't believe he saw me like that...I'm so ashamed..."_

"Are you okay, Inoue?" Ichigo asked softly. Orihime hesistated to answer.

"Yes, um, I don't think Isamu realized he was making me uncomfortable. So it's really my fault, Kurosaki-kun, for not making it clear. I don't think he would have acted that way if he had known how I felt..." she said, feeling tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Inoue. I didn't realize that I was making you uncomfortable, I just...really enjoyed kissing you." Isamu said, averting his eyes. Orihime turned red, and Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"Are you seriously gonna buy this guys bullshit, Inoue?" Ichigo asked, glaring in Isamu's general direction.

"I don't think he's lying, K-kurosaki-kun. Isamu has been really great throughout this whole date. I know better than anyone how to get caught up in the moment. I mean, I think aliens have something to do with it, they probably beam down thoughts into our heads directly which distract -"

"Inoue, aliens aside, this guy is no good. I can tell. And don't you dare blame yourself for his behavior. I could tell from across the park you were upset. No guy is that oblivious." Ichigo said, trying to keep his temper under control. How did she always manage to find the good in everyone, even when it was clear that Isamu was anything but?

**_King, I say you go Bankai on his ass._**

_"You're not really helping, at the moment."_

"You're quick to judge someone you've only talked to once. I would never do anything to hurt a beautiful creature like Inoue, Kurosaki. You are an uninvited and unwanted guest on our date. So if you don't mind leaving, I would like to get back to it."

"There is no way in hell I'm leav-"

"It's okay, Kurosaki-kun. I'll be okay. I know you're worried about me, and I know you think it's your job to protect me, but I can take care of myself. You can go." "_I'm sure you've got Rukia or some one else of more importance waiting for you..."_

Ichigo looked at Orihime with a shocked expression on his face. Orihime felt fear go through her from the intense look. Brown eyes met gray, and Orihime felt her knees go a weak. The intensity wasn't the good kind. He looked as though she had betrayed him.

"Fine." Ichigo said, turning to leave. He gave one last glance towards Isamu, and muttered, "You hurt her and I will not hesistate to kill you." And with that, he walked away, leaving Orihime and Isamu alone in the park.

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Reviews please? Good reviews result in a new chapter much more quickly...hint hint.(:


	4. be still

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've been slowly working on this chapter, and I started another fic, "And We All Have Hell." So check that out if you haven't! I'll start picking up the pace on that one as well. As for this fic, it's starting to get good, I think.

Please, please, please, read and review! Reviews give me so much inspiration to keep going!

This is going to be short, and I'm sorry for that. I just have so little time! Next week is christmas break, so expect more!

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_Far, away from it all, you and me with no one__ else around  
A brand new start is all we need, it's all we need to mend these hearts  
Back to the beginning;_

_Be still  
Let it go_

_Before we lost hope, when we still touched and love wasn't so hard_

_Be still, I already know_

_Foolish one with the smile, you don't have to be brave every time we fall down_

_-__but we're falling from grace  
I'll gladly climb your walls, if you'll meet me halfway_

_Here's my hand and my heart_  
_It's yours to take_

_**Be Still. – Kelly Clarkson.**_

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Ichigo walked out of sight, stopping some meters away from the couple behind him. He scowled, angry at how the evening had just turned. "_Inoue…," _he thought to himself, "_please be careful." _He could feel the sweat forming on his brow as his nervousness got the best of him. _"What does she see in him, anyway?" _He asked himself angrily.

"_**What's it to you, king? It's not like you were gonna ask her out anytime soon."**_

Ichigo sighed. His hollow had a lot more to say than usual.

"_What's that suppose to mean?"_

"_**You seem awfully….jealous. You always do when it comes to guys trying to have their way with Orihime. You sure you just don't like that Isamu guy 'cause he has more balls than you? You can't hate him just because he's got more game than you, kingy."**_

"_That's not it at all! Inoue is one of my dear friends, and I'm just looking out for her. Over half of the males in our student body are perverted weirdos, and Inoue is so naïve and innocent. I just can't sit by and watch her get hurt."_

"_**Are you sure that's it? Cause I know all your thoughts and I feel all your feelings, whether you want me to or not, and gotta tell ya, King, sometimes it sure as hell seems like you just want her for yourself."**_

_._

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"Sorry about that, Inoue." Isamu said, apologetically. "I don't know what happened. Sometimes, I just get lost in the moment…. I am so sorry." He said again, ashamed. He buried his head in his hands, rubbing his temples.

"It's okay, Isamu-kun. I get carried away all the time! I think it's because of the aliens in our heads! They beam down thoughts directly into our heads!" Orihime began, starting on a rant about little blue aliens.

"Um…yeah. Anyway, sorry again…. but Kurosaki needs to back off. He doesn't have the right to intrude on our date like that. I'm not going to hurt you..."Isamu said, trailing off. He looked at Orihime to see what her response would be, and he noticed her fidgeting with her hair. She always seemed a little uncomfortable when he mentioned Kurosaki...

"Err, Kurosaki-kun is just really protective of all of his friends. I don't think it's anything personal." Orihime lied. _Kurosaki-kun really doesn't like Isamu, it seems….I wonder why? _Orihime had always been good at reading Ichigo, she just usually kept it to herself. It was true that he was protective of her and his other nakama, but at the same time, you could tell he also had resentment towards Isamu that he was trying to hide. He was failing miserably.

"I don't care what he thinks; I don't appreciate him just budding in. I don't like him, Inoue." Isamu said.

"_Go figure, my one true love and my date hate each other." _Orihime thought to herself cryptically. It was all she could do to keep from laughing at the thought - her one true love and her date weren;t even the same person.

Orihime didn't bother responding to Isamu's comment. She just looked up into the stars, hoping that she'd be taken away. Somewhere. Anywhere.

"I've got to get you home, Inoue. Tatsuki will kick my sorry ass if I don't." Isamu laughed, helping her up with an extended hand. Orihime grabbed his, and he helped her off the ground. She brushed off her dress, as it was covered in grass and dirt.

"Sorry if I got your dress dirty." Isamu sighed. Orihime gave him another nervous glance, and smiled.

"It's alright, Isamu-kun. I have more dresses."

They then walked in silence back to Orihime's apartment, where Tatsuki was waiting. The silence wasn't as comfortable as it has been prior, but more awkward and full of tension. Orihime's head was empty, blank. She didn't know what to think about anything, nonetheless what to say. All she knew was that she was in way over her head and she wanted nothing more to go back home and hide under the covers of her futon, hoping tomorrow would never come. The two men in her life - well, the one who wanted her, and the one who didn't - ruled her already depressed thoughts.

"_Kurosaki-kun…Isamu-kun..." _she sighed to herself, more lost than ever. Her heart beat was making itself known, causing Orihime anxiety.

"_It…hurts...but I suppose this is what I deserve..."_

These thoughts spun around in her mind, over and over again. She wanted to make them stop, to make the pain disappear; but with each passing day, each passing moment, it became more intense. She wanted to scream from the agony.

"_Will it ever end for me?"_

"We're here, Inoue." Isamu said in a whisper, standing at her doorway with Inoue. He grabbed her hands, rubbing her fingers.

"You're cold, princess."

Inoue forced a smile, but it did not reach her eyes. Isamu did not notice. He removed one of his hands from her aching fingers, and took a strand of her hair in his hand, feeling it's softness before putting it behind her ear.

He leaned in for a kiss, to which Orihime flinched. Isamu did not notice, and continued to move forward.

"Hey! You brought her ba-," Tatsuki's voice came from inside, as the door swung open. The light from the room hit Orihime's eyes, blinding her momentarily. Silently, she thanked her friend for interrupting. She wasn;t ready to kiss Isamu again. She wasn;t ready the first time…

"Oh. Hey, Tatsuki," Orihime said, giving her a nervous smile. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at her friend, but brushed it off.

"I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you for letting me take you out." Isamu said, politely. Orihime flashed him a small smile. She nodded in response.

"Goodnight, Isamu-kun."Orihime said. When she shut the door behind her, she felt a little bit better.

.

.

.

Ichigo had walked quite a distance behind Inoue and Isamu, making sure he was hidden in the trees or the shadows so he would go by unnoticed.

Though Ishida would claim he was dense, Ichigo did not make the same mistakes twice.

He would not leave Orihime alone with Isamu, not until he was sure she was okay.

He was happy to see Tatsuki there at Orihime's apartment, waiting for her. He really appreciated Tatsuki at times, she could be there at times when he couldn't, and really, Ichigo knew Tatsuki was just as capable of protecting Inoue when it came to normal situations.

After seeing Inoue arrive home safely, Ichigo turned around to head home. He stopped midway when he heard footsteps trailing behind him. He turned slowly, his jaw clenched tight.

"I thought I told you to bud out," came a voice from behind Ichigo. Ichigo clenched his fist, feeling the anger brewing beneath his skin.

"_He really does not want to do this."_

"And I thought I warned you that you better not treat Inoue inappropriately." Ichigo said confidently, calmly. He turned so he was standing face to face with Isamu Yamauchi.

"I will treat Orihime how I please," Isamu hissed, his eyes flashing. Ichigo was slightly surprised by the hatred in his voice, but did not hesistate to respond.

"If that's the case, I will treat _you _how I damn well please. I will not hesistate to keep her safe, and anyone who stands in the way of that I _will_ deal with me." Ichigo said, his voice filled with venom. Only a fool would stand between Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends.

"I'd like to see you lay a finger on me. Besides, I think Inoue made it quite clear she didn't want or need your company earlier this evening- and if I recall, she said yes to the date in the first place, so really, you are not part of the equation. If I want to see Inoue, I _will._"

"And what are your intentions with her, anyway? You just moved here, and you're already getting a little too comfortable, if you ask me." Ichigo asked, glaring.

"My intentions are none of your business, but I will tell you one thing: I just can't wait to run my fingers across her supple flesh." Isamu said, flashing Ichigo an evil grin. Ichigo did not bother to think; he lunged at Isamu, ready to attack.

"Bastard!" Ichigo yelled, feeling his fist collide with Isamu's jaw. Isamu laughed, stepping away.

"I would really love to sit here and have a brawl, really I would, but I have stuff to do and plans to execute. So, if you don't mind, I'll be going home."

"Like hell you will-," Ichigo started again, preparing to attack once more. He was interrupted by Isamu's laugh.

"Another time, Kurosaki; though I promise I'll treat Inoue the way she deserves to be treated." And with that, Isamu turned and disappeared into the night.

.

.

.

"So how was the date, Inoue?" Tatsuki asked her friend, handing her a cup of tea.

Orihime took it gratefully, curling up in a blanket as she sat across from Tatsuki. She had just gotten out of the shower, feeling surprisingly dirty. She loved the clean smell of her shampoo and conditioner, the freshness of her damp long hair cascading over her back, and her skin's tingly feeling. She could shower forever, washing away unwanted dirt…

"_I wish I could wash away some memories. The one thing I can't reject…"_

"It was alright, Tatsuki-chan. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant, and we went for a walk." Orihime said, shrugging. "It was better than expected, although…" Orihime traile off, unsure if she should tell Tatsuki what happened.

"What? I know that face, Orihime. Tell me what happened."

"Well…." Orihime started, getting a little uncomfortable. She sat her tea down and began explaining everything to Tatsuki. Tatsuki looked awe struck by the story.

"Well who knew Ichigo had it in him? Wow."

"_Yeah. Who knew?"_

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REVIEWWWWWWWWWW? xD


	5. missing me

**_Even though I'd be sacrificed,  
You won't try for me, not now.  
Though I'd die to know you love me,  
I'm all alone.  
Isn't someone missing me?_**

* * *

Ichigo didn't know what just happened. He had been so angry, ready to kick Isamu's ass into next week; but by the time Isamu's words had registered in his mind, he had already gone – disappearing too fast for Ichigo to even think. Part of him let him go – there would be another day where they could continue their fight- Inoue was already home safe, and that was what counted.

The other part couldn't help but feel like something was extremely wrong and that Isamu was hiding something. His words had made Ichigo so mad it was probably good that he did not follow. After all, Isamu was a student at his school, not some hollow he could stick Zangetsu through.

Though he was thinking about it.

The way he disappeared rather quickly after tailing Ichigo annoyed him. He was the one who had wanted to fight, so why did he back off?

Ichigo realized that he needed to find out more about Isamu.

What Ichigo failed to notice about the encounter, however, was just _how_ quickly Isamu had retreated.

.

.

Monday morning arrived too early for Orihime Inoue, who had spent the majority of her weekend ignoring the texts and calls from Isamu by burying her head under her blanket and shutting her eyes tightly closed. _"Oh please just go away for awhile..."_

Orihime arose from her stupor, rubbing her eyes. She quickly discarded all of her clothes and stepped into her bath. The water filled the tub quickly, and she savored the feeling of the bubbles around her. She had always loved baths, and recently more so. She couldn't completely understand what it was about it, but she always felt so…marked; but when she was in the bath, she felt clean and safe and, for the most part, happy.

She rubbed her eyes again. She had gotten very little sleep; one of her regular nightmares plaguing her. This time, like many times before, it was about Ichigo's hollowfication on the dome. All of the what-if's spun around in her head again and again, and when she slept at night they played in her dreams like a movie on the big screen. She sighed.

"_When will they go away? I thought I was getting rid of them. It's been months now…"_

Orihime quickly finished her bath, getting out and changing into her uniform. She stuck her hairpins on the lapel of her blouse, close to her heart. _"Sora will always be close to my heart."_

She looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled, wearily. To the others, she looked like her normal, happy self. That was good. She didn't need them to worry about her; she could take care of herself just fine, after all. She just wished she could change a few things in her life at the moment.

Orihime sighed for the umpteenth time that morning, her thoughts wandering to Isamu.

She did like him, she honestly did. He was kind, funny, and easy to get along with. Well, when it came to her anyway.

It wasn't his fault that he wasn't Kurosaki-kun, after all. Those were big shoes to fill, and Orihime reminded herself that she needed to lower her standards considerably anyway.

"_I don't really deserve Kurosaki-kun in the first place. All I do is burden him and get in the way, and all he ever does is save me. I refuse to let him save me again... I can take care of myself."_

Orihime went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Not feeling like anything special, she poured a box of cereal.

She had twenty minutes to get to class.

.

.

"Hey, Tatsuki, where's Inoue this morning?" Ichigo asked, interrupting Tatsuki's conversation with two other girls. The other girls giggled under their breath at his presence, giving each other looks. Ichigo ingnored them.

"I don't know, I was about to ask you. I didn't see her come in. Maybe she's home sick?" Tatsuki asked, slight concern growing in her eyes. Orihime rarely missed school, especially since she had worked so hard to catch up after the events of the war.

"Hn. Maybe, let me know if you hear from her, okay?" Ichigo said, worry evident in his voice.

"Yeah, sure," Tatsuki said, giving him a curious glance. "I'll text her next period." He nodded, his face serious. Tatsuki scanned his expression, reading it.

"Should I be worried?" Tatsuki asked him, eyeing him closely. The last time Ichigo didn't know where Inoue was, she had been kidnapped and had tried to shut out everyone he cared about. She was not about to be left in the dark again.

"Not that I know of, I was just wondering. I'm sure she's just at home. You just can't be too careful, especially with her." Ichigo said, shrugging. It was true too, except he was more worried than he let on. No reason to get Tatsuki riled up over nothing. He was probably just being overprotective.

"Alright, yeah I'll let you know. I'll call her when I get the chance."

.

.

Ichigo skipped his morning class, heading onto the roof to think. He was worried about Inoue, but he figured he was overreacting. He breathed in the fresh air, enjoying it. It had been awhile since he skipped class, and he was glad he did. There hadn't been many hollows since the war ended, and he had been playing catch up for so long, that it was nice to be out of class; and he finally had some alone time to sort his thoughts. There was still so much he needed to work through.

None of his nakama had discussed with him the incidents that had happened in Hueco Mundo. They probably figured he didn't really want to, which was mostly true. He would have no idea what to say about any of it, especially about what happened between him, Inoue, and Ishida on the dome. That one was better left for another day far in the future.

Besides, it seemed like everyone was dealing with things just fine. Chad and Ishida were the same as always, brushing it off and putting it behind them like it never happened. Inoue was still her bubbly self, though a little bit more spacey than usual. You could never really tell with her though, since she was always one the weird side. Ichigo smiled, thinking of his beautiful friend. He liked her quirky personality. It was refreshing, her innocence and naivety.

He sighed. It was also what put her in danger more times than he liked. Inoue was always quick to trust and always found the good in everyone. He admired that about her, but he hated the people who tried to take advantage of that. The Espada, especially Ulquiorra, knew just how to mess with those qualities.

He still wondered about their words.

"…_but you can't see what's going on inside of her," _Grimmjow's words echoed in his head. He shuddered.

How was Inoue on the inside? Was she okay? It seemed so. He was thankful for that.

They probably should've given Inoue more credit than they did. Though she wasn't a fighter, always shying away from battle, she was a lot stronger mentally than any of them. Though, he still couldn't help but wonder what she had endured there all alone in Hueco Mundo.

His fists clenched in anger. He should've stopped it. He would never forgive himself for that, even if everything did turn out for him in the end.

"_It never should have happened..."_

.

.

Ichigo stayed there until lunch time. He got to his feet, running a hand through his orange locks. _"I really need a haircut." _

"Oi, Ichigo! I got a text from Orihime," Tatsuki said, running up to him.

"Oh, yeah? What does it say?" Ichigo asked, curious. He felt relieved to know Orihime was alright.

"She said she's home ill. So we can stop worrying. It's followed by a smiley face," Tatsuki laughed, and Ichigo smiled, letting relief flow through him.

"OI, ICHIIIIGOO!" Ichigo didn't even bother to look up, sticking his leg out for Keigo Asano to trip.

"Yo, Keigo," Ichigo said, not sparing him a glance.

"You are ALWAYS so mean to me! What have I EVER done to you, ICHIGO?" Keigo wailed, grabbing onto Ichigo's foot, getting his drool and tears all over his shoe.

"Oi, Knock it off, Asano!" Ichigo said, kicking his friend away.

"Fine! I just came to ask you where Isamu Yamauchi was, since I noticed the sweet lovely Inoue-san isn't here today. You don't think they're playing hooky, do you? No! He cannot touch my lovely Inoue-san! She is too pure and perfect! NOOO." Keigo wailed again, still lying on the ground. He began pounding his fists and kicking his legs, tears pouring out onto the ground.

"Woah, what? Isamu wasn't in class today?"

"No, he wasn't." Mizuiro said, walking towards the group. He had his cell phone out, taking pictures of the wailing Keigo on the ground.

"Damn it! The one morning I skip class… any idea where he is?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Keigo asked, standing up and brushing himself off.

Tatsuki looked at Ichigo, worried.

"What are you thinking right now, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked, raising her eyebrow. She knew that look, and that look told her she should be worried.

"I don't know, I mean, I know Inoue said she's fine, but I just don't like that they're both missing today. Something could be wrong…"

"I'm sure she's alright, Ichigo. Maybe they just got each other sick from their date on Friday…" Tatsuki trailed off, watching Ichigo's face turn into a deathly glare. Ichigo pictured the pair, tangled up in each other, Orihime trying to get him to stop, and Isamu ignoring her. Anger flooded his body.

"Yeah, maybe," Ichigo said, turning to leave. He didn't bother looking back to see Tatsuki's worried expression, or Keigo and Mizuiro's curious ones.

* * *

**_...And if I bleed, I'll bleed,_**  
**_Knowing you don't care._**  
**_And if I sleep just to dream of you_**  
**_And wake without you there,_**  
**_Isn't something missing? _**  
**_Isn't something..._**

**

* * *

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**Uh-oh! What's going on? Well, the more reviews I get, the faster I will update this baby! (: So PLEASE! REVIEW! I love reading them, and thank you to all who do!**


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